Host-status of 20 sweet potato lines to Meloidogyne species in South Africa

Abstract

Experimental system: Due to serious economic challenges posed by root-knot (Meloidogyne species) nematodes in sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) production, the Sweet Potato Programme (SPP) of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) in South Africa has since included screening for nematode host-status in its breeding-selection activities. Procedures: 20 sweet potato lines were screened against M. javanica, M. incognita race 2 and M. incognita race 4 in parallel trials inoculated with 3000 eggs and second-stage juveniles (J2) per established cutting. Results: At 56 days after inoculation, the reproductive potential (RP) of all test Meloidogyne species on sweet potato line 1990-10-2 was zero, whereas RP values on other lines were 19.48–342.7, 31.9–995.1 and 10.3–380.44 ranges for M. javanica, M. incognita race 2 and M. incognita race 4, respectively. Conclusion: Among the test sweet potato lines, line 1990-10-2 was non-host to populations of tropical Meloidogyne species in South Africa and could, therefore, be subjected to nematode resistance tests.

Keywords

• biofortification
• cv. ‘beauregard’
• cv. ‘bophelo’
• cv. ‘bosbok’
• cv. ‘mvuvhelo’
• nematode resistance